Boating: Fitting failures are a common source of sunk boats and insurance claims

Miles offshore and even further from help an engine-cooling-system failure could leave you with almost no options

Story By Bill Hezlep

Fitting failures are a common source of claims in the BoatUS Marine Insurance files

Above-waterline plastic thru-hull fittings that crack due to UV or freezing damage sink boats every winter when the weight of snow and ice in the cockpit forces the fitting below the water. Exhaust fitting failures lead to overheating and fires. Fitting failures in cooling systems can lead to overheating as well, or to sinking if they occur below the waterline. So what can you do to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation?
Inspect all your hoses and fittings regularly. A hard tug on every hose will help you find any hose clamps about to give way, or any fittings close to failure. Examine below-waterline hoses and those on critical components of the engine like the exhaust and raw-water systems.
Change vulnerable installations. If you have installations aboard like the “before” in this story, where multiple heavy metal fittings are being supported at a single point, add support or change the installation to use fewer components. In this case, the Groco shutoff valve could’ve been relocated to another part of the water heater loop to take the weight off the pipe nipple.
Carry the right tools and spares. If you are never more than 15 miles from the nearest boatyard, a good toolbox and a small locker of carefully considered spares will do the trick. If you’re heading offshore, the list of necessary tools and spares will run to several pages.
The broken fitting and the results of the repair. Photo Bill Hezlep.

Have a backup plan. No matter how well-prepared you are, there are always things that can go wrong that will be beyond your ability to fix. Have a bulletproof backup plan to give you options when you find yourself facing the unforeseen and the unforeseeable. Again, what that means depends on upon how far afield you plan to go. A good towing plan works for the weekend and coastal sailors. If you’re heading offshore, you’ll want a life raft and a ditch kit in case the worst comes to pass. Have multiple communications options aboard. It often takes more than one means of communication to secure assistance in an emergency. Cell phones cannot be relied upon. Not only are there the normal, “Can you hear me now?” and “Do we have any bars?” issues, but also, the phone may be a casualty of whatever has caused you to need assistance in the first place. BoatUS strongly recommends that all boaters carry a VHF radio equipped with DSC (Digital Selective Calling), and set it up properly with an MMSI number and a GPS connection.
If you plan to head offshore, taking an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) is a good idea, too.

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